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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH
VOL. 3 | NO. 6 February 8-15, 2015
More indigent seniors to receive monthly pension
The government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has lowered the age qualification of indigent senior citizens who can receive the P500 monthly social pension as provided for by Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. Starting this year, indigent senior citizens aged 65 and above will now receive the Social Pension. Originally, only senior citizens aged 77 and above received the pension.
Based on the law, indigent senior citizens or those 60 years old and above are entitled to monthly pension, however, due to limited government resources only those 77 and above were covered by the law up to 2014. For this year, DSWD’s proposal to lower the age of qualification to 65 was approved by Congress and Senate and has been included in the General Appropriations Act of 2015. DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano- Soliman said that with the lower
17 police non-commissioned officers in Siquijor promoted
SIQUIJOR, Feb 17 (PIA) -Seventeen Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) in the province were promoted to the next rank. The donning and awarding ceremony was held on February 16 at the Siquijor Provincial Police Office (SPPO) Ground in Caipilan, Siquijor, Siquijor. It was spearheaded by Deputy Provincial Director for Administration PSupt Teofilo Catana Siclot Jr. assisted by the Deputy Provincial Director for Operation, PSupt Julian Ceballos Entoma. In his welcome statement, PSupt Siclot said that promotion will serve as another inspiration for the police officers to strive more and work harder for the good of the country, people and organization. It is a continuing and a healthy challenge that brings out the best in us, he said, as he urged policemen never to cease to do better every day and strive for promotion to the next higher rank as part of the progressive career in every organization. Presentation of newly promoted PNCOs was done by PCI Alexis Relado and the reading of promotion order by the CAdmin PSI Jimson Ponce. PSupt Siclot read the Panunumpa sa Katungkulan followed by the pinning
of Rank Insignia by the loved ones and relatives of the promotees. Ceremonial Handshake was spearheaded by the Deputy Provincial Director for Administration, staff, Chiefs of Police, families of the newly promoted PNCOs, co-PNCO’s and the NonUniformed Police (NUPs). (RAC/PIA7Siquijor/PNP-Siquijor)
age requirement, more economically disadvantaged senior citizens can have additional cash to spend for their basic needs such as medicines and nutritious food to support their well-being. For 2015, the government has allocated P5.962 billion to benefit some 939,609 indigent senior citizens aged 65 and above nationwide including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). This 2015 budget for the program is P2.853-billion higher from last year’s allocation of P3.108 billion. Qualified to receive the P500 monthly stipend are senior citizens who are frail, sickly, or have disabilities; are not receiving pension from Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or Veterans Pension; and do not have a permanent source of income or regular support from relatives. The pension is distributed every quarter through cash payment by DSWD Field Offices or city/municipal social welfare and development offices. The first release is scheduled i n A p r i l 2 0 1 5 . d s w d . g o v. p h .
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Policymakers must encourage SME innovation to thrive
in the management and operation of a firm. I n t e r e s t i n g l y, t h e a u t h o r s d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t a f i r m ’s a b i l i t y to undertake both or either type of innovation, and the disposition of the impact on the firm’s performance, is dependent on varying factors. Supported financially and technically by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), PIDS commissioned the National Statistics Office (NSO) to survey manufacturing firms in CALABARZON. Their statistics show that a strong relationship between innovation activities and economic performance of firms exists. Firm size, foreign e q u i t y, a n d i n d u s t r y s e c t o r s were important considerations for SMEs to invest in changes. “Small-sized firms or start-up companies for instance, may find it more challenging to do product innovation than process innovation while large companies could typically undertake product and process innovations as a matter of routine,” the authors conclude. Larger firms have more workers and a larger talent pool to enact both product and process innovations. But their years of experience also allow their leaders to view the importance of innovation to maintaining their market competitiveness. Secondly, the authors affirm established literature cited in the works of Becheikh, Landry and Amara (2006) claiming that firms with foreign investors are more likely to innovate because they “supply domestic firms with scientific and non-scientific resources”, making them all the more capable to change up their processes or product designs. T h i r d l y, t h e f u n d a m e n t a l difference between product innovation and process innovation was also evident. Sales, profit, and labor productivity linked with process innovation show that improving the way firms run their business by changing operating, marketing, and business strategies significantly and positively affect firm performance. The same cannot be said for product innovation. Its impact on the firm’s performance is smaller compared with that of process innovation, and subject to the product’s ability to penetrate the market. The authors recommend that policymakers focus on enhancing SMEs to access and finance innovations. Regulations and structural barriers to foreign investment would best be eased, as foreign equity increases SMEs’ likelihood to innovate their products and processes.
Community as vehicles for integration and inclusive growth. To create an atmosphere that allows SMEs to have greater access and financing opportunities to generate innovation, the country’s leaders must make targeted policies. Llanto and del Prado’s paper affirms that innovation increases sales and profit, and improves labor productivity. But what kind of innovation, and how do different factors, such as firm size, age, and foreign equity, affect the impact of innovation? The authors believe that the effect of each is important to distinguish.
The traditional adage is that innovation optimizes the evolution of performance. But for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to fully take advantage of the benefits of innovation, hard evidence has to link innovation with improved firm performance. More importantly, the factors that influence firms to innovate, as well as those that discourage them, must be identified and analyzed. These were the objectives outlined in Does Innovation Mediate Good Firm Performance, a paper recently released by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). Authors Gilberto M. Llanto, president and Fatima Lourdes Del Prado, senior research specialist, add their analysis to the growing literature on innovation in the area of policymaking and development agendas. National development relies on innovation, and SMEs in particular are considered by the ASEAN Economic
Two Kinds of Innovation Areview of the literature undertaken by the authors shows that there are two ways firms can change and innovate— through product innovation or the adoption of new product or service, and through process innovation or the radical changes
One of the stunning white sand beaches in San Juan, Siquijor
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DOH-7 says Cardiovascular Disease is the new “epidemic” in the new millennium CEBU CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA) --- The Department of Health (DOH-7) reported that cardiovascular disease is now labeled as the new “epidemic” in the new millennium as DOH-7 noncommunicable section head Dr. Jeanette Pauline Cortes described it as the number one cause of death today. In a recent Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO7) Forum, Cortes said cardiovascular disease is a condition affecting the heart and blood vessels that include coronary heart disease. “This is described as a number of conditions caused by atherosclerosis of the arteries to the heart,” she added. Cortes encouraged the public to start a healthier lifestyle even at a young age, to prevent heart-related diseases especially Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) which ranked as the highest reasons of mortality in the DOH list. The disease is caused by plaque building up along the inner walls of the arteries of the heart which narrows the lumen of arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart, explained Cortes. The traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease are high or low cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopausal for women and being older than 45 for men. Majority of Filipinos are prone to cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease because of physical inactivity, smoking, obesity, hypertension and diabetes, Cortes said. Based on April 2011 data, the World Health Organization recorded 57,864 deaths in the Philippines caused by the disease. According to Cortes the disease is preventable by practicing healthy living lifestyle. The public should stay away from smoking and drinking. Smoking and too much alcohol are big factors of heart diseases. DOH-7 healthy lifestyle program coordinator, Malyn Fernandez also shared that there are some ways to reduce the risk of having heart disease by quitting smoking, improve cholesterol levels, control high blood and diabetes, exercising regularly and doing some physical activities, eat the right food, achieve and maintain a healthy weight and manage stress. Fernandez stressed, the people should stick to a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol, as the fat may clog blood vessels, making it harder for the blood to send oxygen to vital organs.
PIA-Siquijor’s lecture and video presentation on Climate Change/Disaster Information Nationwide Awareness (DINA) at the Family Development Session (FDS) with the 4Ps beneficiaries of barangay Bogo, Maria, Siquijor. The health department is celebrating February as “Heart Month” to promote awareness and educate Filipinos on the importance of a healthy heart through healthier lifestyle and
early prevention of heart diseases. T h i s y e a r ’s c e l e b r a t i o n o f cardiovascular health adapts the World Health Organization (WHO) theme, “Jump for your heart.”(mbcn/HFG/PIA7)
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Cebuano News
DepED miduso sa Online Journalism
C MANILA (PIA) – Ang buhatan sa Department of Education (DepEd) mipahigayon ug nationwide training sa mga school paper advisers ug campus journalism coordinators agi ug pagpangandam sa himoon nga 2015 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC). Gawas sa konsepto sa basic journalism, ang mga partisipante gibansay usab sa Online Journalism ug Science Writing nga bag-ohay lang nalakip na sa himoong NSPC competition categories. Si Education Secretary Br. Armin Luisitro FSC mipaambit sa ka importansya sa digital communication components sa Campus Journalism Program. Midugang si Luisitro nga himoon kini aron mapalambo ang 21st century skills sa mga magtutudlo ug pinaagi niini mapaambit nila ang ilang kahibalo ngadto sa mga estudyanteng Pilipino aron mahibalo ug ma bansay sila sa media literacy.
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is the Island of Siquijor’s first electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Siquijor Information Center and the DOST - Provincial Science and Technology Center. It contains snippets of information about Siquijor, Central Visayas and the Philippine Government.
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Gitumong sa national Training of Trainers on Campus Journalism ang pag hatag ug kasinatian sa mga school paper advisers bahin sa mga modernong pamaagi sa campus journalism ug digital communications media aron mo uswag ang ilang journalistic skills lakip na ang eskwelahan sa pagpahigayon niini sa ilang school paper management ug editorial techniques. Gawas sa online journalism gi bansay usab sila sa Editorial Cartooning, Copy Writing, Feature Writing, News Writing, Sports Writing ug Photojournalism sa mga resource speakers nila. Ipahigayon ang NSPC karong tuiga sa Taguig City sa Abril 6 hangtud 10 nga gadala sa tema: ”Empowering Resilient Communities Through Campus Journalism”. Sa pagtak-op sa gihimong in-school journalism ug English language programs, ang NSPC padayon nga mopaambit sa mga dugang pa nga pagtulun-aron ma giyahan ang mga estudyante nga gustong mokuha sa kursong journalism. Gitumong nga mapaambit sa mga estudyante ang dugang kahibalo unsa ka mahinungdanon ang journalism aron magamit sa lain-laing pamaagi pagpadayag sa mga pang huna-huna mahitungod sa advocacy on social consciousness, ug ang pag paila sa gitawag ug responsible “journalism through fair and ethical use of mass and social media”. (mbcn/lpp/PIA-7/Negros Oriental)